Apparently not concerned about putting too much pressure on its latest would-be saviour, the Buffalo Bills named rookie running back C.J. Spiller as the team's starter on Wednesday.

Spiller, the No. 9 selection in 2010 NFL draft, takes over for the capable duo of Fred Jackson and Marshawn Lynch, who split the job last season. Jackson was supposed to be a non-factor, but excelled as a replacement for the suspended Lynch early on and never let up.

Both Jackson and Lynch, hobbled by injury during the pre-season, will be available Sunday against Miami.

Still, in Spiller, the Bills have a dynamic talent capable of reaching the end zone in a variety of ways.

Bills head coach Chan Gailey said Spiller would have been his choice, even if the other two running backs had been in the lineup all pre-season.

Spiller rushed for three touchdowns in the pre-season, including one against the Indianapolis Colts in Toronto.

The former Clemson star was once a standout track and field athlete and the Bills, stuck in the non-playoff wilderness for far too long, are hoping giving him a prominent role will not only lead to some wins, but also an increased entertainment factor.

If he is anything like the player he has often been compared to -- Marshall Faulk -- that could well be the case.

FAT ALBERT UPDATE

Put those Albert Haynesworth trade rumours to bed. For the moment.

Washington Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan -- who has jousted with the jumbo-sized defensive lineman throughout the summer -- said Haynesworth will still be a Redskin come Sunday.

After that, who knows? And who knows whether Haynesworth will start against the Dallas Cowboys. That would "give a competitive advantage" to the Cowboys, Shanahan said.

That is not to say the two-time Pro Bowler will remain in Washington all season, just that he shouldn't be packing his bags yet.

Reports have indicated the Tennessee Titans are keen on bringing him back, but head coach Jeff Fisher poured some cold water on that line of thinking.

Fisher said the Titans would listen if the Redskins come calling, but added that he likes the state of his squad's defensive line as it stands.

"We've got great numbers," Fisher told ESPN.

"We're probably going to have to de-activate one or two for the game that could play, so we're in good shape."

QUICK HITS

It could be posturing, but NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith has told Bloomberg News that he thinks there will be a lockout next year. "I still feel that a lockout is coming in March," Smith said. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell doesn't sound much more hopeful. "We have a lot of work to get done," he told ESPN Radio. "There's still sufficient time to do that. But there's really a window here. Once we get to March, it just becomes more complicated and more difficult, so we really need to work hard in the next several months to try to get something that works for the players, works for the owners and works for the game." ... The Denver Broncos will have the rather large number of seven captains this season. Or, seven more than the Maple Leafs have had recently ... The Miami Dolphins have signed Pro Bowl return man Clifton Smith. He was released by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday after injuries threw him off-form. Smith led the league with 29.1 yards per kickoff return in 2009 ... Jacksonville Jaguars guard Uche Nwaneri has agreed to a five-year $24-million US contract with $8 million guaranteed.